Year 4 Science · Teeth and the digestive system · Summary

Year 4 Science Teeth and the digestive system: summary and key words

Part of the Year 4 Science teeth and the digestive system chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

Chapter summary

Skill	Method
Digestive system	Food passes from the mouth, through the oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines and rectum, to the anus.
What the parts do	Mouth chews and starts digestion. Stomach churns. Small intestine absorbs nutrients. Large intestine absorbs water.
Teeth	Incisors cut, canines tear, premolars crush, molars grind. An adult has 32 teeth.
Teeth and diet	A carnivore has sharp canines. A herbivore has flat molars. An omnivore eats both.
Looking after teeth	Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Drink water, and have sugary food less often.

I can name the parts of the digestive system in order, from the mouth to the anus
I can say what the mouth, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum do
I can name the four types of teeth, and say what each one does
I can count the teeth in an adult and compare them with a child
I can match an animal’s teeth to the food it eats
I can say simple ways to keep my teeth and digestive system healthy

digestive system: the long tube and its parts that break down food
oesophagus: the tube that pushes food from the mouth to the stomach; also called the gullet
saliva: a liquid in the mouth that starts to break down starchy food
nutrients: the useful parts of food that the body needs, absorbed into the blood
absorb: to take something in, such as nutrients into the blood
incisor: a sharp front tooth, used to cut food
canine: a pointed tooth, used to tear food
molar: a large, flat tooth at the back, used to grind food
carnivore: an animal that eats mainly meat
herbivore: an animal that eats only plants
omnivore: an animal that eats both plants and meat
tooth decay: damage to a tooth, caused by sugar left on the teeth